(30 September 2026)

Sunwah – On 30 September 2026, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), Brinc Korea and Sunwah Innovations jointly organized K-Tourism Open Innovation Vietnam 2026 at Sunwah Galleria in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).

The program connected 10 Korean tourism-tech startups with businesses, investors and partners from Vietnam’s tourism and innovation ecosystem. Through startup presentations and direct business-matching activities, the program aimed to explore the practical needs of the local market, promote commercial partnerships and create opportunities for pilot projects in Vietnam.

The event was attended by representatives of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in HCMC and the HCMC Tourism Association; Mr. Jesse Choi, Regional Director of Sunwah Group (ASEAN) and CEO of Sunwah Innovations; representatives of Brinc Korea; and more than 50 guests from businesses, investment funds, startup support organizations and companies operating in tourism, hospitality, resorts, transportation, retail and technology.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Park Eun Jung, Director of KTO Hanoi Office, highlighted the strong growth of Vietnam’s tourism industry and tourism exchanges between the two countries. In 2025, Vietnam welcomed more than 20 million international visitors, while nearly five million people travelled between Korea and Vietnam. As AI, big data and digital solutions continue to transform the way people travel and businesses operate, she described Vietnam as a promising market for Korean technology companies. She expressed her hope that the discussions at the event would lead to contracts, investment opportunities and long-term partnerships, while reaffirming KTO’s commitment to supporting cooperation that delivers tangible results.

Ms. Park Eun Jung, Director of KTO Hanoi Office

Representing the HCMC Tourism Association, Dr. Huynh Quoc Thang, Vice Chairman of the Association, noted that technology and innovation are having an increasingly significant impact on every stage of the visitor journey. For Ho Chi Minh City, technology adoption should address the practical needs of businesses and travellers, thereby improving operational efficiency, service quality and the destination’s competitiveness. He welcomed the program’s practical approach of directly connecting technology companies with tourism businesses and expressed his hope that these initial meetings would lead to pilot projects, concrete partnership models, and new products and services suited to the Vietnamese market.

Dr. Huynh Quoc Thang, Vice Chairman of the HCMC Tourism Association,

Representing Sunwah Group, Mr. Jesse Choi emphasized that tourism is a highly competitive industry. The visitor experience depends not only on hotels and destinations, but also on transportation, healthcare, retail, food and beverage services, access to information and many other supporting services.

According to Mr. Jesse Choi, technology can help businesses improve both service quality and operational efficiency. However, for a solution to be successfully adopted, technology companies need a clear understanding of local needs, operating conditions and the priorities of potential partners in the target market. The program’s direct business-matching sessions therefore played an important role in enabling companies from both countries to exchange information, identify specific needs and explore suitable areas for cooperation.

During the Event, 10 Korean startups presented their products, business models and technology solutions with potential applications across various areas of the tourism and service industries.

Following the presentations, the Event featured four rounds of direct business matching between the Korean startups and Vietnamese partners. These sessions enabled both sides to discuss operational needs, the potential application of different solutions, possible partnership models and the adjustments required to meet the needs of the Vietnamese market.

Through these two-way exchanges, Korean companies gained deeper insights into the local market and the needs of Vietnamese partners. At the same time, Vietnamese businesses were able to explore new technology solutions and assess their potential for practical application.

The discussions aimed to lead to practical outcomes, including pilot projects, commercial partnerships, investment opportunities and long-term development plans in Vietnam. Sunwah Innovations and Brinc Korea will continue to support follow-up exchanges and connections between the participating startups and Vietnamese partners after the program.

K-Tourism Open Innovation Vietnam 2026 is one of the initiatives promoting exchanges between the Korean and Vietnamese innovation ecosystems in tourism and technology. The program helps bring technology solutions closer to the practical needs of businesses while creating further opportunities for Korean startups to explore and develop their operations in Vietnam.

Through its innovation network in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang, Sunwah Innovations connects startups, businesses, universities, investors, government agencies and organizations in Vietnam with regional and international networks.

In the coming time, Sunwah Innovations and Brinc will continue working together to support companies in accessing new markets, identifying suitable partners and developing practical cooperation opportunities in tourism, technology and innovation.